Apple Cracks Down on iPhone Resellers By Restricting Sales

iphoneworld.pngApple has moved to crack down on the resale of iPhones by restricting iPhone sales to two per customer, and limiting purchases to card only.

Apple has claimed that the move is related to supply, with an Apple spokesman quoted by AP saying that the move was to “ensure that there are enough iPhones for people who are shopping for themselves or buying a gift.”

The suggestion that there may be supply problems with the iPhone coming up to the peak holiday shopping season may spook the market, however the move is more likely related to the rampant practice of unlocking and exporting the iPhone to countries outside of the United States where the phone is not currently available. A quick search of non-US eBay sites show hundreds of unlocked iPhone’s being available in a thriving after market.

Apple has sold 1.4 million iPhones to date.